Coronavirus outbreak at Swansea University linked to superspreader who attended house party and infected 32 students

A student walks past a sign at Murano Street Student Village in Glasgow, where Glasgow University students are being tested at a pop up test centre
PA
April Roach @aprilroach2830 September 2020

A coronavirus outbreak at Swansea University has been traced back to one individual who came from outside the area and infected 32 students at a house party.

The university in south Wales is warning students who have been enjoying themselves "more than they should" not to attend gatherings or parties outside their house or flat bubbles.

Andrew Rhodes, the university's registrar, said six warnings have been issued but the university is yet to take any disciplinary action against students.

"What we have seen on coronavirus is that almost all of the cases stem from before the main arrival of the students," said Mr Rhodes.

"Cases are stemming from the same party. One infected person who came from outside the area caused the transmission of the virus.

"In terms of all those who had positive test results, there were 32 - all of those students were from a particular party."

Mr Rhodes added that so far the university has not recorded any Covid-19 cases within halls of residence or on campus.

Glasgow University students self isolating at home in Cairncross House
Alamy Live News

He said: "The vast majority [of cases] are connected to the same event on September 12 when there was a cluster of parties.

"In line with Covid restrictions we cannot be having gatherings or parties you can only be with those in your house or flat bubbles.

"There are some students who have enjoyed themselves more than they should have done but the vast majority have been brilliant."

The registrar explained that the university worked with the Student Union to spend £250,000 on an outdoor facility in which students can socialise in a distanced way during the pandemic.

A student leaves one of the accommodation blocks at Murano Street Student Village in Glasgow
PA

He said: “When you think of Manchester Met and Glasgow that’s not our current experience at all. Our students are not locked in their rooms they are free to move around.

“A lot of universities haven’t made provisions for students to have a social space - we built two large outdoor areas so students can have social space.

“All our facilities are still open, our libraries are open, people are in halls and are free to move around the campus. They can move between the two campuses for education but not for sport.”

A spokesperson from the university told the Evening Standard: "Swansea University can confirm that most of the 32 cases of students that have tested positive for coronavirus have been traced to one house party.

"Contacts have subsequently been traced and are in isolation in line with guidance from public health authorities. There have been no positive cases on either campus.

"The University will be monitoring the situation closely and will continue to offer our updated advice on the University’s dedicated webpage. We are also continually reminding all our University community to observe local Covid-19 restrictions."

It comes after footage emerged of hundreds of Coventry University students flouting social distancing rules at a huge party in halls despite increasing Covid-19 cases.

The clip, which has been shared online, shows students packed into a room at the residential halls, Arundel House, near the main campus.

A huge party at Coventry University

The university has launched an investigation into whether the party was planned and who organised it.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma, when asked about a video which apparently shows a group of university students having a party, said the Government was asking students to “follow the rules, follow the guidance, and act responsibly”.

“This has been actually a very, very difficult time for young people and actually, they want to get back to some sense of normality, we can’t just sort of lock people down forever,” he told BBC Breakfast

An estimated 4,000 students across the UK are now self-isolating after more than 500 cases were confirmed across at least 32 universities.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said moving university lectures online would be a “sensible” way of reducing the transmission of coronavirus on campuses.

But Sir Keir stopped short of backing calls for students to be given a refund on their tuition fees and rents as a result of such a switch.

The University and College Union (UCU) has called on the Prime Minister to ensure online tuition at universities “becomes the norm” in a move Labour said it supported, as long as the virtual learning materials were accessible to every student enrolled.

Sir Keir’s backing for more remote learning comes after a surge in Covid-19 cases led to thousands of students having to self-isolate at universities including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier.

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